Method of producing an absorbent garment, and an absorbent garment produced according to the method

ABSTRACT

An absorbent garment has a chassis structure including a front panel having a front end edge, a back panel having a back end edge, a crotch panel arranged between the front and back panels. Elasticated front and back waist panels are arranged along the front and back end edges, and a core component is integrated with the chassis structure. The chassis structure also has a liquid permeable material having a garment facing side and a user facing side and forming a liquid permeable surface layer in the garment. The liquid permeable material extends continuously between the front end edge and the back end edge, and at least one of the front panel and the back panel includes an elastic web that has been bonded to the liquid permeable material with the elastic web stretched by 35-250% in at least one direction.

This is a Division of application Ser. No. 12/739,594 filed on Apr. 23,2010, which is a National Phase of International Application No.PCT/SE2007/001009 filed on Nov. 14, 2007. The disclosure of the priorapplications is hereby incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a method for continuously producing absorbentgarments, the method comprising forming a continuous multi-componentproduction web and cutting individual garments from the production web.The invention also concerns an absorbent garment that may be producedaccording to the method.

BACKGROUND ART

Absorbent garments, particularly disposable pant-type absorbent garmentsinclude a pant-shaped chassis structure and an absorbent core componentpermanently integrated with the chassis. A major objective whendesigning pant garments is to make them resemble ordinary underwear asclosely as possible. For this reason, the garment chassis usuallycomprises a material that is elastically stretchable, at least in theareas intended to be applied over the wearer's hips. In addition,absorbent garments such as pant diapers, sanitary pants and incontinencepants are designed to fit comfortably and snugly about the wearer and itis desired that they have a minimum of seams and joins that could causediscomfort such as chafing.

Further, absorbent pant-type garments should be capable of being pulledup and down over the hips of the wearer in the manner of a pair ofunderpants to allow the wearer or caregiver to easily remove a soiledgarment and to replace it with a new clean garment. A particular problemwith pant-type garments is that seams and joins running in a directionparallel to the waist edge of the garment may rupture when the user or acare-giver is pulling on the garment. In order to avoid this problem, ithas to be ascertained that joins between different parts of thedisposable pant-type garment are sufficiently strong to withstand theforces arising during normal use. However, strong seals and joins arecommonly obtained by increasing the bonding area and/or by using morebinder materials or severe binding conditions, resulting in stiffer andmore uncomfortable joins.

A further requirement of particular importance for disposable garmentsis that the garment can be produced by an economically efficientprocess, involving as few process steps and components as possible.

Hence, there exists a continuing need for an improved process of makinga pant-type absorbent garment having a chassis including one or moreelastically stretchable components.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a simple andeconomic method for producing an absorbent garment such as anelastically stretchable pant-type garment.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, there is provided method forcontinuously producing absorbent garments comprising forming acontinuous multi-component production web, the production web having anintermediate zone extending in a travelling direction and a first and asecond lateral zone on each side of the intermediate zone each lateralzone including an edge zone extending along an edge of the productionweb; and cutting individual garments from the production web.

The method for forming the production web comprises the steps of:

-   -   a) feeding a first elastic web in the travelling direction;    -   b) stretching the first elastic web by 35-250% in the travelling        direction;    -   c) intermittently laying down absorbent cores in the        intermediate zone of the production web;    -   c) feeding a continuous web of liquid permeable material in the        travelling direction and covering the absorbent cores with the        continuous web of liquid permeable material, the continuous web        of liquid permeable material having a width at least        corresponding to the width of the production web between the        edge zones;    -   e) bonding the first elastic web to the continuous web of liquid        permeable material in the first lateral zone of the production        web, the first elastic web being applied to the production web        before or after application of the continuous web of liquid        permeable material.

The method steps may be carried out in any order as long as thecontinuous web of liquid permeable material forms an inner liquidpermeable surface in the assembled absorbent garment.

The method according to the invention offers a highly economical andefficient way of producing disposable absorbent garments. The finishedgarments in accordance with the invention have a tailored appearancewith a soft continuous inner body-contacting layer and an outer surfacethat may be a nonwoven or elastic film layer, as desired. The methodmakes it possible to use a minimum of material layers and componentsthat have to be joined to each other thus reducing production times aswell as production costs.

The term absorbent garment as used herein, refers to all kinds ofabsorbent hygienic garments that are worn as a pair of underpants andthat have a waist opening and two leg openings. Garments according tothe invention include pant-diapers and open-type diapers for all kindsof users as well as absorbent hygienic panties for feminine protectionand incontinence.

In this context, an elastic material is defined as a material having apermanent elongation after relaxation of less than 10% after thematerial has been subjected to an elongation of 30% in the elasticitytest specified hereinafter.

A non-elastic material is a material that does not fall within thedefinition of an elastic material. Accordingly, a non-elastic materialas used herein is a material that may be stretchable or non-stretchable.In the case of a stretchable material, the material has a permanentelongation after stretching and relaxation of more than 10% after havingbeen subjected to an elongation of 30% as determined according to theelasticity test.

The elastic web may be adhesively bonded to the continuous web of liquidpermeable material or may be thermally or ultrasonically bonded to thecontinuous web of liquid permeable material.

Thermal or ultrasonical bonding can be in the form of individual bondelements such as spot bonds or line bonds or can be in the form of acontinuous bond pattern. By selecting a bond pattern of sparselydistributed spot bonds, it is possible to achieve a higher flexibilityin the resulting laminate than with a pattern of bonds occupying a largeproportion of the interface between the bonded layers.

The method according to the invention may further include the steps of:

-   -   f) feeding a second elastic web in the travelling direction;    -   g) stretching the second elastic web by 35-250% in the        travelling direction; and    -   h) laminating the second elastic web to the continuous web of        liquid permeable material in the second lateral zone of the        production web.

The elastic web or webs may be elastic film, elastic nonwoven or anelastic laminate comprising at least one elastic film and/or elasticnonwoven material. The elastic webs may form elastic waist panels andelastic front and back panels in the finished pant-type absorbentgarment. In one embodiment of the invention, the elastic web is alaminate of an elastic film and a nonwoven layer and the elastic web isbonded to the continuous web of liquid permeable material with theelastic film facing the continuous web of liquid permeable material.

An elastic material that has previously been used to form elastic panelsin absorbent garments such as pant-type diapers is a laminate comprisingan elastic film sandwiched between two layers of non-elastic nonwoven.In order to render the laminate elastically stretchable, it is subjectedto an activation treatment. A three-layer, activated laminate isdisclosed in International Patent Application No. WO 03/047488. Theactivated laminate is produced by incrementally stretching an elasticfilm layer between two non-elastic cloth-like layers. Incrementalstretching is carried out by passing the laminate between intermeshinggear rollers. Activation of elastic laminates by incremental stretchingis also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,143,679, 5,156,793 5,167,897,5,422,172, 5,592,690, 5,634,216 and 5,861,074. The non-elasticcloth-like layers are fully or partially broken or torn during theactivation process so that the elasticity of the laminate afteractivation is determined mainly by the elasticity of the elastic filmlayer. In the three-layer laminate in WO 03/047488, the non-elasticlayers are completely broken so that the elasticity of the activatedlaminate is substantially the same as the elasticity of the elastic filmlayer.

The disclosed laminates have excellent comfort properties and are soft,breathable and elastic. Unfortunately, the activation process reducesthe tensile strength and puncture resistance of the material so thatwhen used as a chassis component in a disposable pant garment, thematerial is easily torn when exposed to the forces arising when puttingon or taking off the pant garment. In order to increase the tensionalstrength of an activated laminate and to overcome the tearing problem,it has been proposed in PCT/SE2006/000563 to bond a stretch-activatedtwo-layer laminate comprising a nonwoven layer and an elastic film layerto a second reinforcing nonwoven layer while the two-layer laminate isin a stretched state.

For the purpose of the invention, it is also possible to usestretch-bonded elastic laminates comprising an elastic film or nonwovenweb that has been bonded to at least one non-elastic layer with theelastic layer being stretched in at least one direction during thebonding step.

Another type of elastic laminates that could be used in the methodaccording to the invention is “neck bonded” laminates, which arelaminates in which an elastic material is bonded to a non-elasticmaterial while the non-elastic material is extended under conditionsreducing its width. A neck bonded laminate is a composite materialhaving at least two layers in which one layer is a necked, non-elasticlayer and the other layer is an elastic layer.

The elastic film used for producing the elastic laminates may be of anysuitable elastic polymer, natural or synthetic. One example of anelastic film that has proven to provide good elasticity andbreathability is an apertured three-layer elastomeric film with thecomposition polyethylene-styrene/ethylene/butadiene/styrene-polyethylene(PE-SEBS-PE).

The elastic web or webs used in the process in accordance with theinvention may be composed of a layer of fibrous material and an elasticlayer. The fibrous layer is preferably chosen so that it provides a softand cloth-like feel and appearance to the laminate. Examples of suitablematerials are meltblown webs, spunbond materials, and creped nonwovens.Creped nonwovens generally have greater extensibility and flexibilitythan non-creped nonwovens. By using a creped nonwoven, the laminate willbe more conformable and extensible than is possible with a non-crepednonwoven.

The basis weight of the nonwoven web used in the elastic laminate issuitably from 10-80 g/m² and preferably from 10-30 g/m². Examples ofsuitable polymers used in the fibrous material are polyesters,polyethylene, polypropylene and other polyolefin homopolymers andcopolymers. Natural fibres, for example cotton, may also be used as longas they provide the desired properties. A mixture of polymers cancontribute to a higher flexibility of the nonwoven layer and give thenonwoven material a higher elongation at maximum load. A mixture ofpolyethylene and polypropylene polymers has proven to provide goodresults in this respect. However, nonwovens having different fibremixtures may also be used.

The elastic layer is preferably an apertured elastic film. The elasticlayer may have a basis weight of between 10 and 120 g/m², preferablybetween 15 and 60 g/m². The elastic layer may be of any suitable elasticpolymer, natural or synthetic. Some examples of useful materials for theelastic layer are low crystallinity polyethylenes, metallocene-catalyzedlow crystallinity polyethylenes, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers(EVA), polyurethane, polyisoprene, butadiene-styrene copolymers, styreneblock copolymers, such as styrene/isoprene/styrene (SIS),styrene/butadiene/styrene (SBS), or styrene/ethylene-butadiene/styreneblock copolymer. Blends of these polymers may also be used as well asother modifying elastomeric or non-elastomeric materials. One example ofa suitable elastic film is an apertured three-layer elastomeric filmwith the compositionpolyethylene-styrene/ethylene/butadiene/styrene-polyethylene(PE-SEBS-PE).

In accordance with the invention, the continuous web of liquid permeablematerial constitutes a reinforcement layer for the elastic web. Hence,it is possible to use an elastic two-layer laminate or an elastic filmlayer to elasticise the absorbent garment instead of the prior artthree-layer laminates. An elastic two-layer laminate may be manufacturedand activated according to either of the methods disclosed in WO03/047488 or EP 0 715 351 by applying the nonwoven web to one side ofthe film. The nonwoven web and the film may be extrusion bonded or maybe bonded by adhesive. The laminate is incrementally stretched toactivate the elasticity of the film layer. Incremental stretching can bemade to a point below the elongation at peak load of the nonwoven web toretain some strength in the nonwoven web. Alternatively, the stretchingmay be carried out so that the nonwoven is completely torn, as disclosedin WO 03/047488.

When laminating a two-layer stretch-activated laminate to the continuousweb of liquid permeable material, the two-layer laminate is preferablybonded to the continuous web of liquid permeable material with the filmside of the laminate facing the continuous web of liquid permeablematerial. Thereby, a three-layer laminate is created having a smoothface on the surface where the two-layer laminate is arranged and asomewhat gathered, puckered face on the opposing surface, where thecontinuous web of liquid permeable material is arranged. In this manner,an absorbent garment having a smooth surface in contact with anyclothing worn over the absorbent garment is obtained. The smooth surfaceof the laminate is aesthetically pleasing and will be less conspicuouswhen the absorbent article is worn under thin or tight-fitting garments.

Before laminating the elastic web to the continuous web of liquidpermeable material, the elastic web is stretched, preferably in thetravelling direction, or machine direction, MD by 35-250% of itsinitial, non-stretched extension and is held in the stretched stateduring the lamination step. By choosing and controlling the amount ofstretch, it is possible to obtain a selected elasticity in the endproduct. The elastic web is preferably stretched by 35-180% of itsnon-stretched extension, more preferably by 50-150% of its non-stretchedextension and most preferably by 70-120% of its non-stretched extensionduring lamination with the continuous web of liquid permeable material.

The amount of stretching of the elastic web is specified as a percentageof the initial, non-stretched extension of the laminate in the directionof stretch. Accordingly, a laminate having a first, non-stretched lengthof 1 m and being stretched by 50% has a second, stretched length of 1.5m.

The elastic web can be adhesively bonded to the continuous web of liquidpermeable material. Alternatively, the elastic web can be thermally orultrasonically bonded to the continuous web of liquid permeablematerial. Thermal or ultrasonical bonding can be in the form of discreetbonds such as spot bonds or line bonds. By selecting a bond pattern ofsparsely distributed spot bonds, it is possible to obtain a materialhaving higher flexibility and conformability than with a bond patternoccupying a large proportion of the interface between the bonded layers.

A major advantage of the method according to the invention is that it ispossible to use a single layer of elastic material such as an elasticfilm or a two-layer film/nonwoven laminate and still obtain asufficiently strong elastic panel in the finished absorbent garment.When a two-layer film/nonwoven laminate is used and placed with thenonwoven layer on the outside of the absorbent garment, the overallappearance of the garment will be that of a textile panty with soft andcomfortable inner and outer surfaces. The elimination of a layer ofmaterial in the garment constitutes a considerable material saving and acorresponding saving of production costs.

The method according to the invention preferably comprises applying aliquid impermeable material on one surface of each absorbent core.

The absorbent core may be bonded to a web of liquid impermeablematerial, the liquid impermeable web then being cut between the coresinto core components comprising an absorbent core and a liquidimpermeable barrier layer. Alternatively, the cores are bonded to theweb of liquid impermeable material which is subsequently introduced intothe production web, without cutting individual core components from theweb.

The core components are transferred to the production web and applied tothe production web with the liquid impermeable barrier layer facing downon the production web. Depending on how the cores are oriented duringbonding to the web of liquid impermeable material, the core componentsmay have to be turned over and/or rotated so that they are incorporatedin the production web with the liquid impermeable barrier layers facingaway from the continuous web of liquid permeable material and with thecores applied with the longitudinal direction of the cores in thecross-machine direction of the production web. The liquid impermeablebarrier layer should have a width that is smaller than the width of thecontinuous web of liquid permeable material. Accordingly, the liquidimpermeable barrier layer should not extend all the way to the edges ofthe production web and should preferably have the same or only slightlygreater extension in the cross-machine direction, CD, of the productionweb than the cores. The CD extension of the liquid impermeable barrierlayer may preferably not be more than 4 cm greater than the CD extensionof the cores.

Alternatively, the liquid impermeable material may be joined to theproduction web before the absorbent cores joined to the production web.

The core components may include further elements such as a supplementarytopsheet material which may be a fluid acquisition material, liquidtransport members, elastic members, shape-stabilizing members, shapingelements or the like. The components included in the core components canbe connected to one another in a conventional manner, for example byadhesive bonding, ultrasonic welding or thermowelding.

The method according to the invention may further include attaching oneor more leg elastic members to the production web. The leg elasticmembers may be applied to the continuous web of liquid permeablematerial. A further option is to apply the leg elastic members to aseparate carrier material that is then incorporated into the productionweb.

Leg elastic may be applied in any known manner and using any known andcommonly used elastic materials. One example of a suitable method ofarranging leg elastics is disclosed in WO 2004/078083. When the legelastic is applied so that it extends across the cores, it may beadvantageous to deactivate parts of the elastic member or membersextending over the cores. Deactivation may be accomplished in any knownmanner such as by treating the elastic members with chemicals or heat orby simply cutting the elastic members.

The method according to the invention preferably also includes arrangingan elastic waist band along at least one of the edges of the productionweb. A waist band can be formed by attaching discrete or continuouselastic elements along at least one edge of the continuous web of liquidpermeable material and optionally covering the elastic elements with anonwoven web which may be a folded-over portion of the continuous web ofliquid permeable material or a separate nonwoven strip.

An elastic waist band can alternatively be joined to the production webas a separate component that has been prefabricated or that ismanufactured in line with the production web.

The elastic waist band is preferably continuously joined to or arrangedon the production web and may comprise an elastic band of any suitablekind of material such as elastic laminates, elastic foam strips, elasticnonwovens, non-elastic materials that have been elasticised with elasticthreads or strings, etc. A commonly used elastic waist band is made byattaching elastic elements such as threads, bands or strings in apre-tensioned state between two layers of nonwoven, non-elasticmaterial. All commonly used elastic materials including natural orsynthetic rubber, elastic foam, etc. can be employed. A waist band ofthis type may include two separate layers of nonwoven or may comprise asingle layer of nonwoven material that is folded into a two-layerstructure.

Preferably, the elastic waist band includes a portion of the continuousweb of liquid permeable material. An advantage of using the continuousweb of liquid permeable material when forming the waist band is that thenumber of stiff and uncomfortable seams and joins can be reduced, givingthe garment a soft and tailored appearance and feel. It is particularlypreferred to arrange the waist band so that the inner surface of thehygienic garment is smooth without any potentially chafingirregularities.

The elastic waist band may include one or more components of theproduction web such as the first continuous web of liquid permeablematerial. In these embodiments, the elastic waist band may include anedge portion of an elastic or non-elastic part of the production web. Ina particularly preferred embodiment, the elastic waist band is formed byattaching elastic elements to an edge portion of the first continuousweb of liquid permeable material web and subsequently folding thecontinuous web of liquid permeable material to cover the elasticelements. It is also possible to attach elastic elements to an edgeportion of the production web and leave the elastic elementsnon-covered, or covered by a separate web. If the elastic waist bandincorporates an elastic web arranged at an edge portion of the firstcontinuous web of liquid permeable material, the elastic web may befolded to create an edge portion having higher elastic retraction forcethan the non-folded portion of the part of the production web includingonly a single elastic web. The folded elastic web may be supplemented byadditional elastic elements, if desired.

The method according to the invention may further include anyconventional pant-forming production steps such as one or more of thefollowing:

-   -   a) applying raised barriers;    -   b) cutting the production web to form leg openings;    -   c) folding the production web;    -   d) applying fastening elements to the production web;    -   e) forming side joins in the folded web, and    -   f) separating individual pant-type absorbent garments from the        production web by cutting at the side joins.

Raised barriers are commonly used in diapers and similar absorbentgarments and. The barriers are attached to the inner surface of theabsorbent garment and are often made of hydrophobic nonwoven material.The raised barriers are often elasticated in order to hold the barriersin the raised position.

As an alternative to the formation of side joins, the method may includeattaching fastening elements to the production web or to the separatedindividual absorbent garments.

The invention also offers an absorbent garment comprising a chassisstructure comprising a front panel having a front end edge and first andsecond side edges, a back panel having a back end edge and first andsecond side edges and a crotch panel being arranged between the frontand back panels and elasticated front and back waist panels beingarranged along the front and back end edges of the front and backpanels, and a core component being integrated with the chassis structureand forming an integral part of the absorbent garment, the chassisstructure including a liquid permeable material having a garment facingside and a user facing side and forming a liquid permeable surface layerin the garment. The liquid-permeable material extends continuouslybetween the front end edge and the back end edge and at least one of thefront panel and the back panel comprises an elastic web that has beenbonded to the liquid permeable material with the elastic web stretchedby 35-250% in at least one direction.

The elastic web in the front and back panels preferably extends from thewaist edges all the way to the leg openings of the garment.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the liquid permeablematerial forms part of one or both of the elasticated front and backwaist panels.

An elastic web may have been bonded to each of the front panel and theback panel, the garment having a gap between the elastic webs in thecrotch panel (58).

The absorbent garment may be a pant-type garment having the first andsecond side edges of the front panel being joined by edge joins to thecorresponding first and second side edges of the back panel.

The elastic waist panels of the absorbent garment according to theinvention may comprise elastic elements that are attached to theliquid-permeable material either on the outer garment-facing side of theliquid-permeable material or on the inner, user-facing side of theliquid-permeable material. The liquid-permeable material may be foldedover to cover the elastic elements and may be secured in the folded overconfiguration by adhesive, thermobonding or ultrasonic welding. Theelastic waist panels may comprise a portion of the at least one elasticweb.

In accordance with the invention, the absorbent garment has areinforcing member which is the continuous inner liquid-permeablesurface layer or topsheet. The continuous inner surface layer ispreferably a non-elastic material and preferably comprises a layer ofnonwoven material. Useful materials include meltspun, meltblown andcarded nonwovens. The materials may be thermobonded, hydroentangled,needled, thru-air bonded, or bonded with a bonding agent, as desired.The use of a continuous inner layer in the garment reduces the risk ofbreaking seams and joins between other components in the garment and oftearing materials that have low tensile strength such asstretch-activated elastic segments when putting on the garment.Moreover, seams and joins between components that are bridged by thecontinuous material can be made less strong, thus reducing welding timesin the production process. Further, when less severe bonding conditionsand less overlap between materials have to be used, the seams and joinscan be made softer and less stiff than in conventional absorbentgarments, implying that conformability and comfort of the garment isimproved without risking that the garment will break or fall apartduring production and handling.

A smooth and continuous inner surface is also beneficial in that itenhances wearer comfort and reduces the risk of chafing and skinirritation. However, it is within the scope of the invention to placeone or both of the elastic webs on the inside of the absorbent garment.

The garment may be a pant-type garment having the first and second sideedges of the front panel joined by edge joins to the corresponding firstand second side edges of the back panel. Alternatively, the garment maybe of the open type which is provided with fastening elements that areused to fasten together the front and back panels of the garment when itis being put on a user.

The elastic waist panels may comprise elastic elements that are attachedto the liquid-permeable material. The elastic elements may be attachedto the garment-facing side of the liquid-permeable material or to theuser-facing side of the liquid-permeable material. The liquid-permeablematerial may be folded over to cover the elastic elements or the elasticelements may be uncovered or covered by a separate material.

Further, the elastic waist panels may comprise a portion of the at leastone elastic web.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will in the following be described in greater detail withreference to the appended drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 shows schematically a method for producing pant-type absorbentgarments in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows schematically the production of core components;

FIG. 3 shows a cross section through a production web according to afirst embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a cross section through a production web according to asecond embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a pant-type diaper in accordance with the invention in aflat state, and

FIG. 6 shows the diaper in FIG. 5 with closed side joins.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a method for continuously producing absorbent garments, inparticular pant-type diapers, although open-type diapers may be formedby the same general method. The method involves forming a continuousmulti-component production web and cutting individual diapers from theproduction web.

In FIG. 1, a diaper chassis structure is formed from a compoundproduction web 22, comprising a continuous base web 23 ofliquid-permeable material and first and second elastic webs 24,25 andfirst and second waist elastic elements 30,31. The elastic webs 24,25may be elastic films, elastic nonwoven webs or elastic laminates, aspreviously disclosed.

The production web 22 has an intermediate zone 2 extending in atravelling direction, the machine direction, MD and a first and a secondlateral zone 3,4 on each side of the intermediate zone 2 each lateralzone including an edge zone 6,7 extending along an edge 8,9 of theproduction web 22. The edge zones are the parts of the lateral zones 3,4closest to the side edges 8,9 of the production web 22.

The production web 22 is shown to have the different zones 2,3,4symmetrically distributed in the cross machine direction CD with theintermediate zone 2 centrally located between the lateral zones 3,4 andthe lateral zones 3,4 having equal widths. However, for otherembodiments of the invention, the intermediate zone may be offsettowards one of the side edges 8,9 of the continuous base web 23 implyingthat the lateral zones 3,4 have different widths.

As shown in FIG. 1, first and second elastic webs 24,25 are fed betweentwo rollers 26,27 in the MD. The elastic webs 24,25 are stretched atleast in the machine direction (MD) by 35-250% of their initial,non-stretched extension. As shown in FIG. 1, stretching may be carriedout by passing the webs between a pair of rollers 26,27 driven atdifferent speeds. By controlling the amount of stretch, a predeterminedelasticity can be obtained in the finished garment chassis. The elasticwebs 24,25 are preferably stretched by 35-180% of their non-stretchedextension, more preferably by 50-150% of their non-stretched extensionand most preferably by 70-120% of their non-stretched extension. Theelastic webs 24,25 need not be stretched to the same extent if differentelasticity is desired in different portions of the chassis structure. Itis also possible to use different types of elastic materials in theelastic webs 24,25.

The degree of stretching of the elastic webs 24,25 during the formationof the production web 22 is a major means of controlling the elasticityin the portions of the production web 22 where the elastic webs 24,25are attached.

The stretched elastic webs 24,25 are shown to be laminated to thecontinuous base web 23 in the lateral zones 3,4 of the production webafter absorbent cores 33 have been laid down on the elastic webs 24,25in the intermediate zone of the production web. Alternatively, theelastic webs 24,25 may be bonded to the continuous base web 23 after thebase web has been applied over the absorbent cores 33 or the elasticwebs 24,25 may be attached to the continuous base web 23 before thecontinuous base web 23 is applied over the absorbent cores 33.Accordingly, the elastic webs 24,25 may be applied to either side of thecontinuous base web 23. Lamination may be carried out by means of anysuitable lamination process such as by using a binder, bythermo-bonding, ultra-sonic welding, etc.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the continuous base web 23 is fed inthe MD and is applied over the absorbent cores 33. The continuous baseweb 23 has a width at corresponding to the width of the production web22. In alternative embodiments, where a waist band is added to theproduction web 22, the continuous base web 23 may have a widthcorresponding to the width of the production web 22 between the edgezones 6,7.

It is preferred to use a nonwoven material having thermoplasticproperties for the continuous base web 23 as a web containingthermoplastic material can be joined to other components bythermo-welding and ultrasonic welding techniques. The nonwoven layer canalso be used to form side joins with good tensile strength. The sidejoins are preferably breakable side joins, i.e. welds that may be peeledor torn apart when the garment is removed after use.

Core components 32 are produced in a separate process as shown in FIG. 2and are intermittently laid down on the production web 22 as shown inFIG. 1. The core components 32 are placed in the intermediate zone 2 ofthe production web 22 with portions of the core component s 32 extendinginto each lateral zone 3,4. If desired, the core components 32 may bebonded to the continuous base web 23 and/or to the elastic webs 24,25with adhesive or by any other conventionally employed bonding method.

The core components 32 may be produced as shown in FIG. 2, the processincluding feeding a web 34 of liquid impermeable material and layingdown and bonding absorbent cores 33 to the web of liquid impermeablematerial 34. Individual core components 32 are formed by severing theweb 34 of liquid impermeable material between the absorbent cores 33 ata cutting station 29. The cutting station 29 is shown as a cuttingwheel, but may be any kind of cutting apparatus. It is also conceivableto cut the liquid impermeable web into a shape corresponding to theshape of the absorbent core 33 or into any other suitable shape.

Before joining the core components 32 to the production web 22, the corecomponents 32 are oriented so that the liquid impermeable barriermaterial is facing away from the continuous web of liquid permeablematerial 23 in the production web 22. Moreover, the core components 32are rotated to bring the longitudinal direction of the cores 33 intoalignment with the cross machine direction, CD of the production web 22.

The core components in FIG. 2 may, of course, comprise additionalelements as conventional in the art. Accordingly, the core componentsmay comprise elastic elements, one or more absorbent members, liquidhandling structures, shape retaining elements, etc. It is to beunderstood that the construction of the core component 32 and theabsorbent core 33 is by no means limiting to the invention. Hence, anycommonly employed core concepts and materials may be used in the processaccording to the invention. In addition, the core may have any suitableshape and size, as required by the intended use that the garment isdesigned for.

Waist elastic elements 30,31 are attached along the edges 8,9 of thecontinuous base web 23 in the edge zones 6,7 of the production web 22and the elastic elements 30,31 are then covered by folding thecontinuous base web 23 over the elastic elements 30,31 to form a waistband along each edge of the production web 22. In the process in FIG. 1,the elastic elements 30,31 are attached on the side of the continuousbase web 23 that will be a garment-facing side in the absorbent garmentand the continuous base web 23 is then folded over on the garment-facingside of the continuous base web 23 and bonded in the folded-overconfiguration to the continuous base web 23 or to the elastic webs24,25. In this manner the side of the continuous base web 23 that willbe a body-facing side in the absorbent garment, can be made smooth andwithout discontinuities. However, according to other embodiments of theinvention, the waist elastic elements may be placed on the bodyfacingside of the continuous base web 23 and may be covered by a portion ofthe continuous base web 23 that is folded over towards the bodyfacingside of the continuous base web 23 to produce a, seamless garment-facingsurface at the waist border of the garment.

In the process in FIG. 1, the continuous base web 23 has a width that isequal to the width of the production web 22. This is a preferredarrangement since the continuous base web 23 will then be a carrier webfor all components in the production web 22. Moreover, the continuousbase web 23 may be used to form a soft, comfortable and seam-free innersurface of an absorbent garment produced from the production web asshown in FIG. 3. An absence of seams on the inner surface is beneficialin that it reduces the risk of skin irritation. In any case, byminimising the number of seams and joins in the absorbent garment, thegarment becomes more flexible and conformable than prior art garments.The continuous base web 23 will also be a reinforcing member, reducingthe risk of breaking seams and joins between other components in thegarment and of tearing materials that have low tensile strength such asstretch-activated elastic laminates.

The elastic webs 24,25 in FIG. 1 are laminated to the continuous baseweb 23 in the lateral zones 3,4 of the production web 22 but cover onlya small portion of the edge zones 6,7. This means that the waist bandsin the FIG. 1 embodiment will be formed mainly from the folded portionsof the continuous base web 23 and the elastic elements 30,31 inside thefolds. Waist elastic may alternatively be formed by applying the elasticwebs 24,25 all the way to one or both edges 8,9 of the production web 22and folding the edge portions of the production web 22 to form a waistband comprising two layers of the elastic web 24,25 and optionally oneor two layers of the continuous base web 23. The waist band may furtherbe supplemented with additional elastic elements. A further option is tocreate a waist band at one or both edges of the production web 22 byattaching elastic elements to the web and optionally covering theelastic elements with a separate nonwoven strip. The elastic elements30,31 in FIG. 1 are shown as continuous threads. However, the elasticelements may be any type of elastic material that is used forelasticating absorbent garments such as elastic bands and tapescomprising elastic nonwoven, laminates, film, net, foam, etc. The waistelastic does not have to be continuous as in FIG. 1 but can be appliedin the form of discrete pieces of material attached intermittently alongone or both edges of the production web 22.

The production web may also comprise leg elastics applied to one or moreof the continuous base web 23, the core components, the elastic webs24,25 or a separate carrier member. The leg elastics can be anyconventionally used elastic elements such as one or more elasticthreads, bands, etc. One suitable way of arranging leg elastic on aproduction web is disclosed in WO 2004/078083.

When the production web 22 has been assembled, a portion 44 is cut outfrom the production web 22 between the core components 32 to create legopenings 45. The cut-out portions extend in the CD over the intermediatezone and into each lateral zone. In this manner, the elastic webs 24, 25extend all the way to the leg openings in the finished garment 21. Theproduction web and the integrated core components 32 are then foldedcentrally in the machine direction MD and the web halves are joined inside seams 46 between the core components. Finally, individual pantdiapers 21 are cut from the production web.

Side joins are often arranged in a pant-type garment to connect thegarment's front portion to the rear portion and to form a pant having awaist opening and leg openings. Usually, the side joins are intended tobe arranged at the user's hips during use of the absorbent pants, but itis also known to arrange side joins more to the front of the garment.Side joins that are placed at the front of the garment may be made aftersevering individual garments from the production web. The side joins arepreferably designed so that they can withstand the tensile forces whicharise when the garment is being put on and is being worn, but such thatthey can be torn apart or opened in a controlled manner when theabsorbent pants are taken off or to check if the garment needs changing.In the latter instance, the side joins are preferably reclosable joins,as known in the art.

Moreover, if the garment is an open-type diaper of the kind that isfastened together into a pant-shape when the diaper is put on a user,the process does not involve forming side seams. Instead, the processwill normally include arranging fastening elements on the production webor on the garments after they have been cut from the web. Commonly usedfastening elements for open-type diapers are mating hook-and-loopfasteners or adhesive fasteners.

FIG. 3 is a section through the production web 22 taken in the crossmachine direction, CD, before folding of the web and cutting it intoindividual absorbent garments. Accordingly, FIG. 3 shows a longitudinalsection through an absorbent garment that may be a pant diaper or asanitary panty that has not yet been folded and provided with side seamsor may be an open-type diaper.

When seen as components in an absorbent garment, the continuous base web23 forms a liquid permeable topsheet 78 and front and back elastic waistbands 61. The elastic webs 24,25 that are laminated to the continuousbase web 23 form front and back panels 56,57 of a chassis structure thatalso includes a crotch panel 58 formed from the liquid barrier layer 34of the core component 32. FIG. 2 does not show all the differentelements of the core component. The liquid barrier layer 34 may becovered by an outer crotch nonwoven that is not shown in FIG. 3 or 4.The outer crotch nonwoven should be chosen to be a non-elastic materialto ensure that the crotch portion of the garment according to theinvention is generally non-elastic.

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section through an absorbent garment similarto that in FIG. 3 but with the elastic webs 24,25 arranged on the insideor topsheet 78 side of the continuous base web 23. The elastic webs24,25 are also shown to extend into the elastic waist bands 61 and formpart of the waist bands 61. The elastic webs 24,25 are folded in theedge portions 6,7 of the production web 22 to create the elasticatedwaist bands 61.

The elastic webs 24,25 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to extend in over theabsorbent core 33 of the core component 32. However, in an alternativeembodiment, the elastic webs 24,25 may be applied to the continuous baseweb 23 without overlap with the absorbent core 33. Preferably, theelastic webs 24,25 extend all the way to the leg opening cut-outs 45 sothat the front and back panels of the finished absorbent garment 21extend all the way to the leg openings. Similarly, the elastic webs24,25 may extend all the way to into the elastic waist bands 61 and evenbe folded together with the continuous base web 23 in the waist bands61. However, there is preferably a gap between the elastic webs 24,25 inthe crotch panel 58. This means that the edges of the elastic webs 24,25that are farthest away from the edges 8,9 of the production web arelocated at distance from each other. The crotch panel 58 is located in apart of the absorbent article that will normally be generallynon-elastic due to the absorbent core being non-elastic.

The process according to the invention may in a conventional mannerinclude the application of further elements such as elasticised ornon-elasticised barriers, lotion, odour control agents, shapingelements, stabilising elements, etc.

Particularly, the process may include treating the continuous base web23 so that it is provided with areas of different hydrophilicity orhydrophobicity. Hydrophobic polymeric materials are commonly used intopsheets for absorbent articles. In order to improve liquidpermeability, the materials are treated with surfactants or bymodification of the surface of the materials to render them morehydrophilic. Preferably, a portion of the continuous base web thatcovers the absorbent cores is treated to render it more hydrophilic orless hydrophobic than portions of the base web 23 that are locatedoutside of the absorbent cores. Accordingly, the more hydrophobicportions of the base web may be used to form the elastic waist band andthose parts of the back and front panels that are not coincident withthe cores. A simple way of accomplishing differential hydrophilicity inthe continuous base web 23 is to treat an area of the base web 23extending in the MD and having a width that is equal to the length ofthe absorbent cores. Alternatively, the treatment may be carried outintermittently, so that the parts of the continuous base web 23 locatedbetween the absorbent cores in the MD are left untreated.

It is alternatively possible to use a hydrophilic base web 23 and treatthe portions that should be less hydrophilic or more hydrophobic with ahydrophobicity enhancing agent.

The pant diaper 55 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is designed to enclose thelower part of a wearer's trunk in the manner of conventional underwear.In FIG. 5, the diaper 55 is shown from the inside, i.e. from the sidefacing the wearer when the garment is worn and in FIG. 6, the diaper isshown from the outside, or the garment-facing side, which is the sidethat is facing away from the wearer when the diaper is worn. In FIG. 5the diaper is shown in a flat state with all elastic elements in astretched-out state and in FIG. 6 the diaper is shown as it appears whenit is worn, with partially contracted elastic elements and with closedside seams.

The diaper has a front panel 56, a back panel 57 and a crotch panel 58extending between the front and back panels 56,57 and having arelatively narrow width as compared to the front and back panels 56,57.The front and back panels 56,57 are arranged to cover the wearer's hipsand to extend over the belly and the back of the wearer to encircle thelower part of the wearer's trunk.

The diaper 55 further comprises a core region 59 extending from thecrotch panel 58 into the front panel 56 and the back panel 57. The frontand back panels 56,57 form part of a diaper chassis. The chassis 60comprises the front panel 56, the back panel 57 the crotch panel 58 andan elastic waist band 61 arranged at the front and back panels 56,57.Each of the front and back panels 56,57 has a waist edge 62 a crotchedge 63 and a pair of side edges 64.

The term “panel” is used herein to denote a delimited part of the diaperchassis having defined boundaries while the terms “region” and “portion”are used to denote a more approximate location of a particular featureof the diaper in the chassis or to describe the intended positioning ofa particular part of the diaper in relation to a user's body. A panelmay be formed from separate materials or may be completely or partiallyformed from materials that also extend into one or more contiguouspanels. A region or portion may have an extension fully or partiallycovering one or more panels. The chassis is defined as the part of thepant-type absorbent garment supporting the absorbent component andcomprises inner and outer covering layers, elastic elements, etc.

When components are joined, attached or secured to each other, they areoriginally separate parts that have been bonded by any suitable meanssuch as adhesively, by stitching or by ultrasonic welding orthermo-welding. The term joined is also intended to include separable(openable) joins, such as separable side joins and reclosable joins suchas hook-and loop joins, reclosable tape joins, snap fasteners, etc.Components that have been arranged on each other need not be bonded,although as used herein, the term “arranged” is intended to also includebonded configurations.

The front and back panels 56,57 have been joined to each other alongtheir side edges 64 by thermobonding, ultrasonic welding, glue stringsor the like to form side seams 65, as shown in FIG. 6. The elastic waistband 61 consists of a front waist panel 61 a and a back waist panel 61b, extending from the front panel 56 and the back panel 57,respectively. The front and back waist panels 61 a, 61 b are also joinedto each other along the side seams 65. By joining the front and backpanels 56, 57 and the waist panels 61 a, 61 b, along the side seams 65,the pant diaper 55 is provided with a waist opening 66 and a pair of legopenings 67.

FIG. 5 shows the diaper 55 in a flat state with any elastic componentsthat are attached to the chassis 60 under tensional stress drawn out tothe fully extended dimensions of the chassis 60. FIG. 6 shows the pantdiaper 55 as it appears when the side seams 65 have been formed and thetensioned elastic elements have been allowed to relax and gather thechassis material to form elasticized leg openings 67 and an elasticizedwaist opening 66.

In accordance with the invention, the front and back panels 56,57include an elastic material 68 that has been laminated to a non-elasticnonwoven layer arranged on the inside of the diaper. The front and backpanels 56,57 are preferably elastically stretchable at least in thedirection of the waist edges 62 but may also be elastically stretchableperpendicular to the waist edges 62, in the direction of the side edges64. The elastic material 68 and the front and back panels 56,57 extendfrom the waist edges 62 all the way to the leg openings 67.

The crotch panel 58 is the part of the chassis that is located betweenthe front and back panels 56, 57 in the longitudinal direction of thediaper 55. The crotch panel comprises a nonwoven crotch material 69 thathas been joined to the front and back panels 56,57 at crotch seams 70.Hence, the crotch material 69 which is a non-elastic material, such as anon-elastic nonwoven material overlaps slightly with the elastic frontand back panels 56,57. The crotch material 69 is joined along itstransverse edges 71,72 to the front and back panels 56,57 at theoverlapping portions. The joining can be made in any suitable way suchas by ultrasonic welding, adhesively or similar.

The planar extension of the core region 59 is defined by aliquid-impervious barrier sheet 76 arranged between an absorbent core 77and the chassis 60. The liquid-impervious barrier sheet 76 is shown tohave a rectangular shape and the absorbent core 77 is hour-glass shaped.However, both the barrier sheet 76 and the absorbent core 77 may havealternative shapes.

As an alternative to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, it ispossible to dispense with the nonwoven crotch material. In such anembodiment, the liquid-impervious barrier sheet 76 forms the crotchpanel of the chassis.

A liquid permeable topsheet 78 is arranged over the core 77 and theliquid-impervious barrier sheet 76. The topsheet 78 forms a continuousinner surface of the diaper chassis 60 and consists of a layer ofnonwoven material or a liquid permeable laminate comprising a nonwovenlayer. As previously discussed, in embodiments where the elastic webs24,25 are bonded to the inner surface of the continuous liquid permeablelayer, the inner surface of the diaper chassis 60 comprises the elasticwebs 24,25 arranged in the front and back panels 56,57.

The liquid-impervious barrier sheet 76 can consist of aliquid-impermeable plastic film, a nonwoven sheet which has been coatedwith a liquid barrier material, or some other flexible material sheetwhich has the ability to withstand liquid penetration. However, it canbe advantageous if the liquid-impervious barrier sheet 76 is breathable,i.e. permits the passage of water vapour through the sheet 76.

The absorption core 77 comprises absorbent material, such as cellulosefluff pulp, tissue, absorbent foam, etc. It is also possible for theabsorption core to contain superabsorbents, i.e. polymer materials whichare able to absorb body fluid corresponding to many times their ownweight and form a hydrogel. Superabsorbents are usually provided in theform of particles, but fibres, flakes, granules and films are alsoavailable. Moreover, the absorption core 77 can comprise non-absorbentcomponents such as stiffening elements, shaping elements, binders, etc.Various types of liquid-receiving porous structures such as fibre wads,open-cell foam or the like can also be included in the core.

The absorption core 77 may be produced separately and included in a corecomponent 32 that is subsequently integrated in the diaper chassis asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The various components included in the corecomponent can be connected to one another in a conventional manner, forexample by adhesive bonding, ultrasonic welding or thermowelding. Thecore component comprises at least an absorbent core having a barrierlayer applied as a carrier layer on one surface of the core. Preferably,a liquid permeable layer such as a liquid acquisition layer is appliedto the opposite side of the core. Further components such as elasticmembers, shape-stabilizing members, shaping elements or the like mayalso be included.

In the diaper shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the elastic waist band 61 isformed from extensions of the continuous inner nonwoven topsheetmaterial at the waist edges 62. The nonwoven material has beenelasticized by one or more elongate elastic members 73, such as elasticthreads or bands. The elastic members 73 have been attached to an edgeportion of the nonwoven topsheet 78 material whereafter the topsheetmaterial has been folded to cover the elastic members 73 and has beensecured in the folded configuration in a waist band join 74. The elasticmembers 73 may be secured on the side of the nonwoven topsheet material78 that forms the inner surface of the diaper 55 or on the oppositeside. Preferably, the elastic members 73 are arranged on the surfacethat is opposite to the inner surface of the diaper so that thefolded-over portion of the nonwoven material if folded towards theoutside of the diaper 55 leaving a smooth, continuous surface withoutany seams or edges on the inside of the diaper. It is alternativelypossible to attach elastic elements to an edge portion of the topsheetmaterial 78 and leave the elastic elements non-covered, or covered by aseparate web. Further, the elastic waist band 61 may incorporateportions of the elastic webs arranged at the front and back panels55,66. The elastic webs may be folded to create an edge portion havinghigher elastic retraction force than a single-layer elastic web. Thefolded elastic web may be supplemented by additional elastic elements,if desired.

The elastic members 73 are arranged in the waist band 61 in a tensionedstate such that they contract and gather the nonwoven material in thewaist band 61 when they are allowed to relax, as shown in FIG. 6.

In an alternative, less preferred embodiment, the elastic waist band 61can be a component that is prefabricated and joined to the outside orthe inside of the front and back panels 56,57 respectively. The waistband join 74 between the waist band 61 and the front and back panels56,57 can be made in any suitable way such as by means of ultrasonicwelding, heat welding, or adhesively.

Elastic members 75 are also arranged along the edges of the leg openings67 and form leg elastic. The elastic members 75 at the leg openings canbe any kind of conventional elastic elements such as elastic threads,bands, foam strips, or similar.

The core region 59 extends into the front and back panels 56,57 so thatthe elastic web 68 in these panels overlap with the liquid-imperviousbarrier sheet 76 in the outer parts of the core region 59 as seen inFIG. 5. The elastic web 68 is arranged on the garment-facing side of theliquid-impervious barrier sheet 76.

The continuous inner nonwoven topsheet material has preferably beentreated so that the portions of the material covering the absorbent coreare more hydrophilic than portions of the topsheet material beinglocated outside the intended fluid-receiving area of the article.

The elastic web 68 in the front and back panels 56,57 preferablycomprises a nonwoven web that is arranged on the outside of the diaperto create a textile outer garment-facing surface of the diaper.Alternatively, the elastic web may consist of or include an elastic filmthat forms an outer surface of the diaper.

Elasticity Test

The method measures how an elastic material behaves at cycles ofrepeated load and unload. The sample is stretched to a predeterminedelongation and a cyclic movement between 0 and said predeterminedelongation is performed. Desired load and unload forces are recorded.The permanent, i.e. remaining, elongation of the relaxed material ismeasured.

A tensile tester, Lloyd LRX, able to perform cyclic movements andequipped with a printer/plotter or software presentation is used. Thesample is prepared by cutting it to a width of 25 mm and a length thatis preferably 20 mm longer than the distance between the clamps in thetensile tester.

The tensile tester is calibrated according to the apparatusinstructions. The parameters needed for the test (load and unloadforces) are adjusted to:

-   -   Crosshead speed: 500 mm/min    -   Clamp distance: 50 mm    -   Preload: 0.05 N

The sample is placed in the clamps according to the marks and it is madesure that the sample I centred and fastened perpendicularly in theclamps. The tensile tester is started and three cycles between 0 and thepredetermined elongation equal to the highest defined 1^(st) load areperformed. Before the last cycle, the sample is relaxed for 1 minute,then the permanent elongation is measured by stretching the sample untila force of 0.1 N is detected and the elongation is read.

An elastic material is defined as a material having a permanentelongation after relaxation of less than 10% after the material has beensubjected to an elongation of 30% in the test above. An elongation of30% means an elongation to a length that is 30% longer than the initiallength of the sample.

A non-elastic material has a permanent elongation after relaxation ofmore than 10% after having been subjected to an elongation of 30%.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An absorbent garment comprising a chassisstructure having a garment-facing side and a user-facing side andcomprising a front panel having a front end edge and first and secondside edges, a back panel having a back end edge and first and secondside edges, a crotch panel being arranged between the front and backpanels, elasticated front and back waist panels being arranged along thefront and back end edges of the front and back panels, and a corecomponent being integrated with the chassis structure and forming anintegral part of the absorbent garment, the chassis structure includinga liquid permeable material provided over the core component on theuser-facing side of the chassis structure so that the liquid permeablematerial is configured to be located between the core component and theskin of a user when the absorbent garment is attached to the user, theliquid permeable material forming a liquid permeable surface layer inthe absorbent garment, wherein the liquid permeable material extendscontinuously between the front end edge and the back end edge and atleast one of the front panel and the back panel comprises an elastic webthat extends from the first side edge to the second side edge of the atleast one of the front panel and the back panel, and the entire elasticweb has been bonded to the liquid permeable material when the entireelastic web is stretched by 35-250% in at least one direction.
 2. Theabsorbent garment according to claim 1, wherein the liquid permeablematerial forms part of one or both of the elasticated front and backwaist panels.
 3. The absorbent garment according to claim 1, wherein anelastic web has been bonded to each of the front panel and the backpanel only, so that there is a gap between the elastic web of the frontpanel and the elastic web of the back panel in the crotch panel.
 4. Theabsorbent garment according to claim 1, wherein the first and secondside edges of the front panel are joined by edge joins to thecorresponding first and second side edges of the back panel.
 5. Theabsorbent garment according to claim 1, wherein the elasticated frontand back waist panels comprise elastic elements that are attached to theliquid-permeable material.
 6. The absorbent garment according to claim5, wherein the elastic elements are attached to a garment-facing side ofthe liquid-permeable material.
 7. The absorbent garment according toclaim 5, wherein the elastic elements are attached to a user-facing sideof the liquid-permeable material.
 8. The absorbent garment according toclaim 5, wherein the liquid-permeable material is folded over to coverthe elastic elements and is secured in the folded over configuration. 9.The absorbent garment according to claim 1, wherein the elasticatedfront and back waist panels comprise a portion of the elastic web. 10.The absorbent garment according to claim 1, wherein the crotch panel isarranged between the front panel and the back panel in a longitudinaldirection of the absorbent garment, the absorbent garment having alongitudinal centerline in the longitudinal direction, and each of theelasticated front and back waist panels extends across the longitudinalcenterline of the absorbent garment.
 11. An absorbent garment comprisinga chassis structure comprising a front panel having a front end edge andfirst and second side edges, a back panel having a back end edge andfirst and second side edges, a crotch panel being arranged between thefront and back panels, elasticated front and back waist panels beingarranged along the front and back end edges of the front and backpanels, and a core component being integrated with the chassis structureand forming an integral part of the absorbent garment, the chassisstructure including a liquid permeable material having a garment facingside and a user facing side and forming a liquid permeable surface layerin the absorbent garment, wherein the liquid permeable material extendscontinuously between the front end edge and the back end edge and atleast one of the front panel and the back panel comprises an elastic webthat extends from the first side edge to the second side edge of the atleast one of the front panel and the back panel, and the entire elasticweb has been bonded to the liquid permeable material when the entireelastic web is stretched by 35-250% in at least one direction, andwherein the liquid permeable material is treated to render it morehydrophilic or less hydrophobic in an area of the liquid permeablematerial that covers the core component than in an area of the liquidpermeable material that is located outside of the core component.